Author Archive: Parth

Life is not about surviving, it’s about thriving. The large majority of people are too afraid to step out into the world in the fear of getting hurt, mocked, or disappointed. This is no way to live.

What does this have to do with fitness? EVERYTHING! The reason why so many people walk around unhealthy is because they have allowed their fear to create a life of comfort. Exercise is all about pain. If you can’t embrace pain, then you won’t be successful in the gym.

You might workout. You might go to cardio classes. You might be dieting. But how much of that is within your comfort zone? How much of that is true, actual PAIN? You’ve heard the quote: Pain is weakness leaving the body. So if you’re not going through the pain, then what you’re doing is staying weak.

Many believe that if you feel pain, then it means that you’re weak. The truth is that if you avoid pain, you’re weak. You are so fearful that the slightest bit of something uncomfortable is going to make you turn the opposite way. The prize could be on the other side of the door, but you won’t open the door, simply because of the fact that it’s too painful to experience the unknown.

At the gym I see people taking it easy. They’re just sitting there, pretending, believing, and thinking that they’re working hard. But what they’re really doing is taking it easy. If you haven’t at least attempted to lift more, push harder, and train at a higher intensity level than the week before, then you’re just wasting your time. You might as well go home and eat cheetos.

Look, there are things that are completely out of our hands, I get that. Sometimes you can do everything right, and still come short of your goal. I get that. And that disappointment is hard to deal with. But you have to remember your ultimate goal: a better future, better body, healthier attitude and an improved lifestyle.

Here is what I have to say to those people that are “stuck.” If you’ve been slaving away at your workouts for quite some time now, and are still not experiencing the results that you desire, then perhaps the problem isn’t the workout. Perhaps the real problem is in your attitude. You’re taking it too easy on yourself. You’ve become comfortable with being comfortable.

You need to try something new. And if you make a mistake, you’ll learn from it and get stronger. If you become disappointed, you’ll re-adjust and try again.

And if you’ve tried to follow all the rules of dieting, and worked out hard but still fell short of your goal, then I want you to change the way you think about that situation. Instead of getting down on yourself, think about it this way: the mistakes you made, the time you lose, and the money you spend – all of that is tuition for what you didn’t know. Most of us are willing to spend time and money to go to a university to learn something that may or may not help us in life, but we don’t see life as the ultimate university?

So the moment starts now to not be afraid of pain. Here is your step by step plan to making this happen:

#1 – Acknowledge the fact that you need to push yourself harder.

#2 – Write down your current workout.

#3 – Take 50% of your workouts, and replace them with something you don’t like doing. For example, if you love bodyweight circuits, but hate treadmill sprints, and you train 4 days per week, then do 2 bodyweight circuits per week, and 2 treadmill sprints.

#4 – Take the remaining 50% and set a goal you’ve never attempted before. So, lets say you normally do 3 rounds of 10 pushups, 5 pullups, and 20 squats. Take this workout and try to do 6 rounds of 15 pushups, 10 pullups, and 30 squats. Don’t give up until the workout is complete Go above and beyond, just one time to see if you can do it.

Keep working hard,

Parth

P.S. Have you been feeling lately that you haven’t been pushing yourself hard enough? What’s your attack plan to fix this?

Life is not about surviving, it’s about thriving. The large majority of people are too afraid to step out into the world in the fear of getting hurt, mocked, or disappointed. This is no way to live.

What does this have to do with fitness? EVERYTHING! The reason why so many people walk around unhealthy is because they have allowed their fear to create a life of comfort. Exercise is all about pain. If you can’t embrace pain, then you won’t be successful in the gym.

You might workout. You might go to cardio classes. You might be dieting. But how much of that is within your comfort zone? How much of that is true, actual PAIN? You’ve heard the quote: Pain is weakness leaving the body. So if you’re not going through the pain, then what you’re doing is staying weak.

Many believe that if you feel pain, then it means that you’re weak. The truth is that if you avoid pain, you’re weak. You are so fearful that the slightest bit of something uncomfortable is going to make you turn the opposite way. The prize could be on the other side of the door, but you won’t open the door, simply because of the fact that it’s too painful to experience the unknown.

At the gym I see people taking it easy. They’re just sitting there, pretending, believing, and thinking that they’re working hard. But what they’re really doing is taking it easy. If you haven’t at least attempted to lift more, push harder, and train at a higher intensity level than the week before, then you’re just wasting your time. You might as well go home and eat cheetos.

Look, there are things that are completely out of our hands, I get that. Sometimes you can do everything right, and still come short of your goal. I get that. And that disappointment is hard to deal with. But you have to remember your ultimate goal: a better future, better body, healthier attitude and an improved lifestyle.

Here is what I have to say to those people that are “stuck.” If you’ve been slaving away at your workouts for quite some time now, and are still not experiencing the results that you desire, then perhaps the problem isn’t the workout. Perhaps the real problem is in your attitude. You’re taking it too easy on yourself. You’ve become comfortable with being comfortable.

You need to try something new. And if you make a mistake, you’ll learn from it and get stronger. If you become disappointed, you’ll re-adjust and try again.

And if you’ve tried to follow all the rules of dieting, and worked out hard but still fell short of your goal, then I want you to change the way you think about that situation. Instead of getting down on yourself, think about it this way: the mistakes you made, the time you lose, and the money you spend – all of that is tuition for what you didn’t know. Most of us are willing to spend time and money to go to a university to learn something that may or may not help us in life, but we don’t see life as the ultimate university?

So the moment starts now to not be afraid of pain. Here is your step by step plan to making this happen:

#1 – Acknowledge the fact that you need to push yourself harder.

#2 – Write down your current workout.

#3 – Take 50% of your workouts, and replace them with something you don’t like doing. For example, if you love bodyweight circuits, but hate treadmill sprints, and you train 4 days per week, then do 2 bodyweight circuits per week, and 2 treadmill sprints.

#4 – Take the remaining 50% and set a goal you’ve never attempted before. So, lets say you normally do 3 rounds of 10 pushups, 5 pullups, and 20 squats. Take this workout and try to do 6 rounds of 15 pushups, 10 pullups, and 30 squats. Don’t give up until the workout is complete Go above and beyond, just one time to see if you can do it.

Keep working hard,

– Parth

P.S. Have you been feeling lately that you haven’t been pushing yourself hard enough? What’s your attack plan to fix this?

There are many types of pushups

Pushups are not all you need

There are many people out there that will tell you “pushups are all you need.” This is not true. You should pair pushups with other movements so that you train your full body. Ideally, you should include the following types of movements in your fitness routine:

Pushups are Cardio

Pushups get your heart rate up, making them effective for fat loss. Unless you’re a complete beginner, pushups alone won’t get you the results you desire. Combine them with other movements to form a circuit workout.

Pushups Build Muscle

Muscle building is all about overload. This means as you get stronger, you must challenge yourself with heavier weights. You are lifting approximately 70 – 75% of your total bodyweight when doing a pushup. So if you weight 185lbs, you could be lifting 130 – 140lbs per repetition. So as you gain weight, the more muscle you will be lifting.

However, your body doesn’t really know how much weight it is lifting. Therefore, you can still pack on muscle with bodyweight movements by making your workouts more challenging using the variations discussed earlier along with these advanced muscle building techniques.

The simple, “Do More Pushups” workout

So, in conclusion, to get the most out of pushups, simply do more pushups.

Of course, do not neglect the library of other bodyweight movements you can do help achieve your fitness goals. One great trainer I always recommend is Craig Ballantyne. You can read my bodyweight interview with him here. In addition, check out his deluxe bodyweight workouts for programs that will challenge you, get you stronger, and leaner.

If you have been reflecting on the past year, and find yourself unhappy with the results you achieved in 2014, then there is one thing that is absolutely true: you don’t need another training routine.

Another book. Another workout. Another diet plan. Another piece of equipment. Another….another….Because let’s be honest, it is not gonna work for you. What you need to do is work on your thinking. There is most likely something mentally holding you back from achieving your goals.

Stop Lying to Yourself

Trainer Mike Whitfield would eat a bag of chips on his way home from work all the while thinking about what he wanted to eat for dinner. He would then warm up a frozen pizza, eat the entire pie, and finish the night off with a bowl of ice cream.

Mike kept lying to himself, saying that he needed to eat that bag of chips to relieve stress from work, and that he was too fat to exercise. His weight escalated up to 300 pounds before it hurt him enough to do something about it.

How many times have you told yourself that you need to do this, or need to do that, knowing that the habit was unhealthy? What kind of lies are you telling yourself that are holding you back from achieving your fitness goals?

One of the lies that Lolly Daskal addresses in her article The 9 Most Damaging Lies We Tell Ourselves Daily, is “I don’t have a choice.” Just as Mike Whitfield kept telling himself that he had no choice, no other way to relieve his stress from work, we constantly tell ourselves that we have no choice, and there is no other way.

We create stories in our minds. These stories we tell ourselves shape how we perceive ourselves, and the world around us.

The bad news is that often times the realities we create for ourselves are not based on what is actually true. The good news is that since our mind has so much control over our perceptions, we can change our realities and create a new story for ourselves!

Turn Your Fear into a Challenge

Humans respond to challenges. During the early years of our existence, we had to compete to survive. Every day was a challenge. We are no longer in survival mode, but our competitive nature is still a part of us. This is why when we’re in a competitive environment, we’re able to achieve more than we ever thought possible.

We often create these stories around things we fear. For example, Mike Whitfield could have easily dealt with his stress by working out. Instead, the story he told himself was that he couldn’t do it, and there was no choice for him. But you do have a choice. You can choose to make the decision to change.

One technique I’m using for my goals in 2015 is to turn my fears into challenges. By structuring your goals into both small and large challenges, you’re going to light a fire inside of yourself.

Both world-class athletes and movie stars take advantage of this competitive nature to achieve incredible levels of fitness. When there is a competition date set, you have no choice but to train hard.

See, if you’re going to make the excuse of having “no choice”, then you need to put yourself in a situation where you actually HAVE no choice but the healthy option. Because if you signed up for a triathlon, sitting there eating chips and ice cream will not get you anywhere.

Your Approach to 2015

So this coming year, instead of telling yourself “I have no choice” say to yourself, “I challenge myself to go to the gym twice a week” or “I challenge myself to do 20 pushups per day for the next week.”

Here are a few more ideas you can use to turn your fears into challenges, and create an environment where you have no choice BUT the healthy option:

#1 – Enter a Competition

It can be a fitness competition, a racing event, a strongman-style or obstacle course event. Do something that will get you in front of people, creating a situation where there is no turning back. You have to compete or you won’t get back your entry fee, and you will also embarrass yourself in front of all those strangers.

#2 – Friendly Competition

Compete with a close friend or group of friends. This can be lifting competitions, races or even weight-loss challenges. One reason why it was much easier for me to stay in shape before I began to work in a 9-5 office environment, was because I was training with my buddies in my backyard. We pushed ourselves and built a sense of camaraderie.

#3 – Do What you Believe is Impossible

To set up my goals for 2015, I asked a few people close to me what they believed that I thought was impossible for me to do. You see, at times we ourselves do not realize that we are making excuses or taking the easy way out. Our friends can help us see what is our true potential. Their responses helped me narrow down 4 important challenges I will be taking up for 2015.

#4 – Make a Bet

For one of my 2015 goals, I have a bet going on with a friend of mine. When money, or some sort of prize, is involved it helps you clearly see the light at the end of the tunnel. It’s much easier to visualize yourself achieving that goal, rather than you spinning your wheels and over time becoming depressed due to a lack of results.

You won’t have a great 2015 if you don’t fix your thinking. I’ll leave you here with another one of my favorite stories: Roger Bannister was the first person to run the 4-minute mile. Before Roger Bannister, the belief was that human beings were physically incapable of running a 4-minute mile. Mr. Bannister broke through that limiting belief, and within a year, 23 other people matched or beat that time. And since then, over 20,000 people have run a 4-minute mile.

Take 2015 on with an attitude of victory. Eradicate limiting beliefs, stop lying to yourself, and turn those fears into challenges!

Research from the American Council on Exercise (ACE) has shown that you can burn up to 20 calories per minute with this odd training method. You could burn off last night’s dessert in about 10 minutes…

It’s the highest level of calorie burning you can get – even more than hill sprints.

If you were to do intervals on the treadmill, you’d probably hit a maximum of 16 calories per minute (even with a steep incline).

And I’m proof that this odd little tool works…you see, this past weekend, I cheated on my diet pretty hard – it was Thanksgiving after all –

… yet on Monday, I weighed the same

…and it was because I used this tool.

That’s why you should have this training method in your metabolic fat loss program.

The ACE study – performed on men AND women – also found that this ONE workout method increased their abdominal core strength by an amazing 70%!

They didn’t do crunches, they didn’t do sit ups, they didn’t even do boring planks.

Hope everyone is having a great holiday season thus far. This is the crucial time between Christmas day and New Year where people begin to really think about their New Year’s Resolution, and what they want to accomplish for the following year.

If losing weight is on your list, then there is one important thing you need to decide: what method are you going to use?

Lets see, you can

Do some aerobics for 20 minutes and burn 140 calories

You can sit on the exercise bike for 20 minutes and burn 293 calories

If you prefer standing, then hit the elliptical for 20 minutes for a 201 calorie burn

You want to have certain criteria in place when choosing the kind of training you want to choose when trying to lose fat. For those that have busy lifestyles, the best criteria is:

Must be time-efficient

Must elevate metabolic rate for prolonged periods of time

Must be fun

Must be safe

So lets put three of the most popular forms of cardio to the test:

Walking

Walking is often the exercise of choice for beginners (regardless of age or gender). Initially, most beginners will get results with walking because it’s an increase in their level of activity.

After some time, just like with any form of exercise, results will diminish. So, the next course of action is to increase the distance of the walking, and frequency of the walking. But here’s the problem: you can’t increase the distance and frequency for ever!

You have a minimal amount of time to devote to exercise per week, so what do you do?

A better option:

Although you will eventually face the same issue with jogging and then running, I do believe these are beneficial tools to improve your endurance, and get your mindset towards more intense forms of exercise.

So, if you’re walking right now, start speeding up the pace with power walking with an eventual transition to jogging. After 3-4 weeks of jogging, move onto running. Then start implementing sprints and interval running into your program!

Aerobics

Another popular form of cardio is aerobics. Aerobics comes in the form of step classes, aerobics classes, Zumba, etc. Aerobics shares a similar problem with walking: it does nothing for your metabolism.

So, initially the program might work for your, but if you’re not engaging in movements that elevate your heart rate, or those that engage your muscles, you won’t get the metabolism-boosting benefits you see with strength training or sprinting.

A recent remedy we’ve seen is combining aerobics with light-weight dumbbells. This is an ok solution, but at some point your body will become strong enough so that the light weight dumbbells become ineffective.

A better option:

Slowly start incorporating a session of full-body strength training. So, if you’re doing 3 days of aerobics, drop one day and make that your full-body strength training day.

Spin Class

Doing intervals on a bicycle is perfectly fine, but in recent times fitness instructors have started adding in all sorts of crazy movements to make the classes more fun. Here is sample video of what I mean:

I’ve read about the dangers of standing up while spinning, but I won’t go into that here, simply because I am not qualified to make that judgement call. But I will tell you that doing ab crunches from the bike, standing up while boxing, swinging your arms, arms behind your back – all that is absolutely unnecessary and detracts your mind from what’s important: getting an intense workout. Here’s a great article from a spin expert that comments on this workout.

I’ve also seen videos of people doing hip hop moves while on the bike. I’ve also seen videos of people doing bicep curls while on the bike and other dumbbell movements.

A better solution

Instead of spin classes, perform straight intervals on a bike or treadmill consisting of 30 seconds on of intense effort, followed by 30-60 seconds of lower-intensity effort.

Around this time of the year, most people have the “aah it’s the holiday season. Let me enjoy, then I’ll set a new years resolution to get back into shape.”

You’re different, because you understand that fitness is a life-long pursuit. Although you should take some time away from the gym, you shouldn’t just completely give up for a portion of time and set to “restart” a month from now.

Usually, when people say “oh, I’ll start on Monday” they never do. Get out of the mentality and start TODAY.

Forget about how much you ate on Thanksgiving, or how many temptations you’re going to face in the next few weeks. Focus on the here and now. Workout hard and make TODAY a clean eating day.

Do not do slow cardio. It does not work. Instead, if you feel as though you can’t get to the gym because of weather, travel, family, work, etc. then try this 19-minute no-gym necessary bodyweight workout.

It’ll help you lose weight during the busiest times of the year.

Start off with 3 rounds of:

Jumping Jacks – 30 seconds

Close-Stance Bodyweight Squat – 30 seconds

Spiderman Climb – 30 seconds

Reverse Prisoner Lunge (alternating sides) – 30 seconds

Decline Pushups – 30 seconds

Rest 30 seconds

Follow by 4 rounds of:

30 seconds Bodyweight Squat

30 seconds hold on bottom position

Then:

3 minute Pushup Challenge

Do as many pushups in 3 minutes as possible

Finish off with:

3 minute Pullup Challenge

Do as many pullups in 3 minutes as possible

This workout is from one of Craig Ballantyne’s monthly programs called High Frequency Bodyweight TT, which is the December Workout of the Month, only found in the TT Member’s section.

When you sign up for the TT Members Section, you’ll get instant access to the following:

TT Bodywieght Cardio 3 Workout

Turbulence Training Full Workout Program

30 Days Free Access to TT Members Section

TT Hardcore Fat Loss Workout

TT Booty For Wife Workout

TT for Buff Dudes and Hot Chicks Workout

TT Body Sculpting for Women Workout

Forget about boring cardio to fight holiday fat gain, these workouts are all you’ll need…for a lifetime!

“DON’T WASTE YOUR MONEY on any other exercise programmes or e-books !!! I have spent a fortune in the last twelve months on exercise material, only to discover that once you have a TT Membership Pass, you do not need to look anywhere else.

- Danette Nel, South Africa

“Craig, the TT membership is amazing. I’m still surprised at how quickly I get a response to any question. Talk about overdelivering!”

- Mickey Glick

“It’s been about 6 weeks since I started the initial program and have moved onto the women’s 4 week program and I’ve had fantastic results. I really appreciate how comprehensive the manuals are, with detailed pictures and instructions. Best money I ever spent!

Even at the 2-3 week mark my husband was commenting that I’ve lost weight and since then people have really noticed that my shape is changing. Every week people are saying, have you lost more weight? My body fat is really shifting and the best bit is that it takes far less time than going to the gym giving much more time for me! It also feels great to take control of your workouts!

I’m looking forward to the next few weeks and months as I continue on the various workouts to see how much more my body can change. It’s great that there are so many workouts to keep the body challenged! Thank you for providing such proven workouts for poor misguided people like me!”

“Keep your head up, your heart strong, and run over anything that gets in your way. Success is never given, it’s earned. So work for what you want, fight for what you want, take what you want. Nothing is going to be handed to you.” - Robert MacDonald, Gym Jones

#1 – Switch up your Workouts

By switching up your workouts, it literally means trying something completely new. So, if you’re someone who has been walking for weight loss, perhaps it’s time to switch gears and start sprinting.

Here are some more ideas for workout “switches” –

Cardio Interval Training switch to Treadmill Jogging

Boxing-Style Training switch to Plyometrics

Bodyweight Circuits switch to Traditional Bodybuilding-style Training

Sandbag Training switch to Cardio Interval Training

Treadmill Jogging switch to Yoga

Some of these switches might seem strange, but the whole idea is to do the opposite.

#2 – Reduce your Rest Time

Something as simple as reducing your rest period can have a huge impact on your workout. So if you’re resting 60 seconds between each set, then rest 30 seconds between each set. You will most likely need to reduce your weight slightly, but your heart is going to be pumping. It’ll feel like you’re doing cardio and weights at the same time.

#3 – Get a Personal Trainer…or train with a partner

My girlfriend uses trainers, and it’s hard to find the right one. I’ve personally had more luck with a training partner that has similar goals as you do. Whether it be a trainer or a training partner, try to find one that isn’t afraid to yell at you. The whole purpose is to motivate you to lift more and train harder.

#4 – Take a Break

Sometimes you’re pushing so hard, and dieting so well that your body just needs a break. Remember, what you are doing is placing stress on your body and mind. Just as your body shuts down after prolonged periods of intense work, your body will stop responding if you stress it out too much.

Think about finals week, and how you feel after weeks of intense studying (or cramming). Take a week or two off from the gym. This is a schedule week off, so you’re promising yourself you’re going to return to the gym after that time period. Don’t let this turn into a permanent time off.